Corn planter



Sept. 27, 1932. J. c. BOHMKER C ORN PLANTER Filed April 25. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept' 27 1932 J. c. BOHMKER 1,879,787

CORN PLANTER Filed April 23, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 27, 1932. J. c. BHMKER CORN PLANTER Filed April 23, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 5 sept. 27, 1932. J C, B'OHMKER" 1,879,787

CORN QPLANTER Filed April 23,1931 4 sheets-Sheet 4 l@ Patented sept. 27, 1932 1,879,787

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE JOHN o. BOHMKER, or Kann-linnn iLpnqofs` j l Application led April 23, 1931. Serial No. 532,218.

This invention relates to multiple row yframe which spans the tractor, yand the part corn planters, or other similar farm machinof the cornl planter frame which carries the ery wherein it is desirable to'operate in unicheck heads yand is adjustable forwardly and son a plurality of like mechanisms arranged rearwardly by the bracing meansr in order y in duplicate sets, one on each side of a tracto timel the action of the planting mechanisms 551 tor or power unit. with reference to the location of buttonsl on Among the purposes of the invention is to the check wire. provide improvements in the connecting Fig. 4 isa front view showing connecting j frame structure for such mechanisms, and frame and controlling mechanism for the Y lo means for transmitting motion from a check planters as it would appear when the plant- 60 head simultaneously to the dierent planting mechanism on one side of the tractor is ing units, so arranged that a tractor may be on a lhigher' level than the planting mechadriven between the units into position -for nism on the other side of the tractor. attachment to the frame structure wit-hout Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in necessitating the disassembly or assembly Aof side elevation, illustrating one of the checl- 65 any par-ts of the mechanisms. l ing units and the attachment thereof to the It is also an object of the invention to proplanter frame. vide means for transmitting motion simul- Fig. 6 is a front view of the mechanism in taneously to dierent operated mechanisms, Fig. 5. Y

such as the planting units'of multiple row Fig. 7 s Va sectional detail taken'on th 70 corn planters, which permits the lnecessary line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Y y relative vertical movement between suchv Fig. -8 is a sectional -detail taken on the line mechanisms, without the use of universal 8--8 of Fig. 3. joints or other connecting means permitting In order to avoid lateral shifting of the lost motion or torsion and thus interfere'with corn planter or similar farm machinery, with* 75 the simultaneous operation of 'such mechareference to the tractor which draws it over nisms and correct checking. p the ground, instead of drawing such machin- Further objects of the invention specific ery behind the tractor, it has recently become to corn planters is to provide for more centhe practice to arrange for a rigid connection tral and higher location of the check heads between the tractor and corn 'planting mech- 80 than is customary, in order to improve the anisms located at vthe sides of the tractor.V operation and'efi'ect more accurate checking. This arrange-ment also allows ,thev corn The objects of the inventionA are accomplanter to approach more closely the end plished by means of aconstruction as illusof the field, less turning space being required.

trated in the drawings, which show such -With such arrangement so far provided, 85 parts of a corn planter and operating mechathe corn planter units at each Vside of the nism therefor, as relate to the presenti imtractor were connected together by a rotating provements, and the relationship therewith vor oscillating shaft passing beneath the tracof a power unit or tractor whichisindicated tor frame and operated by a check mechanismv 40 by brokenlines. f located vat the side ends of the planter frame. 90 Figure l is a side view, partly in section, of In orderlto eect a connection or disconnecn the improved mechanism showing itsrelation betweenv the planting mechanism and tion withstandard parts of a corn planter, the tractor, it was necessary toremove such and by broken Ylines indicating the relative shaft passing.- below thetractor. ThisV and position of a tracton Y Fig. 2 is a yfront'view of the'mecham'sm loss of time. Also the connecting shaft was shown in Fig. l, and with .parts of the corn subject to lost motion due to universal joints, planter broken away. 1 c y and there was an objectionable torsion when Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view toillus- Vtransmitting motion from the check mechaother connections necessitated considerable 95 j' trate the bracing nmeans for the corn planter` nism at one side ofthe machine to the-various 11m;-

planting` units. This resulted in the failure of the various planting units from operating in unison. n

With the construction illustrated herein, a tractor may be rapidly attached and disconnected from the planting mechanism, as the connecting parts between the plantingmech 'In anisms on each sideof the tractorare arranged to bridge over the tractor. The-check heads are located on top of the connecting bridge structure, thus bringing'the check! wire. at. a

more desirable angle with reference to the check mechanism, and making it less` subject to being caught by obstructions on the ground, and permitting a more 'uniform tautness ofthe check -wire.

The motion from the check mechanism in,-

stead of being transmitted from the' side of the machine, in series, to the various plant- -y ing units, is transmitted from a more vdesinable locationf, simultaneously to the planting units on each side of the tractor. This bridge connection may be easily adjusted in a fore 'and aft direction to time the action of the planters with reference to the location of the buttons on the check wire,r and this bridging structure is flexible in a vertical direction to permit `the planting units on one Vside of the tractor to rise and lower-with reference tothe planting units on the opposite side of the tractor.

l Having reference to the drawings,the front portion of the tractor is indicated by broken lines T in Figs. 1 and 2. The frameV i parts of. a multiple row corn planter are indicated b-y 2 to 14 inclusive.

. The frame elements 4 constitute draw bars which are connected by links ldtoarmsll,

pivotally suspended from the forwardtransverse frame element 6 in front of the tractor. The frame element 9 arches over the. tractor. 'Upright frame members 12 and 13 extend upwardly from the frame members (2, and are connected together above the tractor by an tions permit the arching frame. structure 12', land 14 to be flexed in a vertical plane, as illustrated in Fig. V4. It is .braced against foreV and aft movement by connections 17 and 18, between the bar 14 and the'rigid U-shaped frame member 9. j

The members 17 and 18 are connected together by bolts 19 passing through perfora-V shortening these braces, thus advancing or retracting the check mechanisms which are carried. by frame member 14. The structure,r

is `bracedagainst'lateral-,motion by an arm GQ 22 extending inwardlyfromvertical frame member 12 to the fixed bars 23and 24 extending forwardly from` the U-frame 9.. 1The. latter is rigid kwith frame elements 8, which' are' connected by diagonal.` barsy 21 withy the U-frame 9.

angle bar 14, to which they are pivotall-y con' nected at 15 and 16. rllhese pivotal connec-` tions therein, to provide forlengthenin-goi" the check. head, so'I thatthese rollers may be tripped and swung outwardly for the purposeof releasing' the check wireA when the end of tlieield is reached. Likewise the forked arm 29, which is operated by buttons on the check wire, may swing outwardly around the pivot. 30. When the check wire is released,I it slides downwardly on guide rods 31, ig.. 2, clear of the planter mechanism..

The check wire is indicated at 32, ,Fi-g. 1.`

VJ hen the buttons' or knots 33 thereof, reach the fork 29, the latter'isswung with its supportingI shaft 34, Fig.k 5,; from its, forward position toits rearward position, as indicated byy broken lines in Fig. 5.. The trans-l verse shaft 3.4 has bearings in the check headl` frame 28..

The pivots 1.5 `and 16, which connect the' latter with the vertical frame members 112 and 13V pass through littings-v 86,*rigidly secured te the upper ends of the upright frame members. side of the tractor rise or `lower with reference toi the Planterunits on the opposite side of the tractor,.tlie check headstiltwith frame 14,. as indicated infFig.. 4, and cause the shaft,

34 tovtilt and remain parallel with the fra-me member 1-4. .Fixed to? the shaft 34 are armsV 87', they outer ends of which are pivotally connected with rods 40; The4 rods 40 ,are-,preferably provided with turnbuckles 39--for ad-l justment asto length-I.. The-lower ends ofthe rods 40 are pivota-lly connected to armsk 41, secured tothe horizontal the-l planting mechanisms. Themanner lin which-,the control shaft 42-operate or control they operation: ofthe seed dropping mechanisms is Well known in the this mechanism in such position that the forks 29; are .in` their ,forward position', Fig.l 5.

When la button Vengages a fork andthereby rods 40 are lifted, and

rocks itA rearwardly, the shaftsv 42 are' rocked sutciently'toopcrate clutches, as usual, for actuating the ydifl ferent seed droppingmechanisms, or such mechanisms may be operated directly from the oscillating shafts 42.

Thev planting mechanisms on' either side ofthe-machine may be lifted. clear f' of-.thei

ground by levers 45, which maybe l'atched any-' desi-redl angular position to lthe fixed quadrants' 46, on 'the planter frame element When thek planter units on oneA control shafts 42 ofA art and isthere fore not illustrated ory described herein.` `Spri-ngs,not shown, normally serve to hold 7 Rigid with the levers 45 are arms 47, bearing under collars 48 fixed to lifting rods 50, pivoted at their lower ends to' the planter frame.

The arms 47 have forwardly extending rods 51 pivoted thereto, to the forward ends of which are attached chains 52 anchored to the frame member 6, at 53, and passing Vbeneath pulleys 54, mounted on draw bars 4. Thus when a lever 45 is pulled downwardly, theV frame by bolts 61, 62 and 63. In making the' connection between the tractor and the planter, it is only necessary to drive the tractor underneath the frames 9 and 14,and attach the bolts 61 et al. The bolts 62 pass thro-ugh spacing blocks 64, between the tractor frame and brackets 65 on parts 8 of the planter frame. When these blocks are removed, rea sonable clearance is provided between the tractor frame and the frame lmembers of the planter construction, so that the tractor may be easily driven into and out of cooperative relation with the planter.

In operation, assuming that a tractor has been driven into position between the frame members 1, as indicated in Fig. 2, and attached to the planter frame by bolts 61, 62 and 63; also assuming that the check wire has been staked as usual and passed through the guide rollers and fork of one of the check heads; then, as the tractor moves forward, the buttons of the check wire successively engage the fork 29 of the check mechanism, rocking it from its forward position to its rearward position, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Thus the shaft 34 is rocked, and the arms 37 lift upwardly on rods 40, simultaneously rocking shafts 42, which control the seed dropping mechanisms of the planter units 43. The planters on one side of the machine are free toV move upwardly or downwardly with reference to the planters on the other side of themachine, because of the Vpivotal supports 55, 56 and 57, lof the respective draw bars, to the common transverse frame element 6, which is rigid with the fore and aft angle frame members l, cross conected by the rigid U-frame 9. Relatively movable frame ele-V ments of the planter carry the vertical frame members 12 and 13, having the pivotal connections at their upper ends, with the cross frame bar 14, which provides for the necessary flexables the user to connect and disconnect the tractor to the planting mechanism without Y removing any portion of the planter, such as is necessary when the cross connection passes below the tractor. It has the added advantage of insuring more uniform tension in the wire by raising the check head high enough to hold the check wire above the ordinary lobstructions in the field, and to lay the wire in a more nearly straight line along the direction of travel, insuring the more perfect cross checking of the seed. There is also less strain on the wire and check head, due to the high position of theV check heads and resulting greater angle of the wire with'respect to the ground.

VAlthough but oneV specific embodiment of f this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be' understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

IV claim:

1. A multiple row corn planter comprising a plurality of laterally spaced seed dropping units, a frame structure connecting said units and including an arch for spanning a tractor, and means forrigidly connecting said frame with a tractor.

2. A multiple row corn planter comprising aplurality of laterally spaced seed dropping units, a frame structure connecting said units and including an arch for spanning a tractor, means for rigidly connecting said frame with a tractor, said means including removable spacing blocks.

3. In a corn planter, two sets of planting units, each set having an individual frame structure, a common frame structure to which said individual frame structures are pivotally connected, said common frame structure being inthe form of an arch, extending Y upwardly, a check head mounted upon said frame connecting said units, meanscarried by said-frame for simultaneously controlling the operation of said planting units, said frame and means carried thereby being formed between said units to arch upwardly for the purpose of spanning a driving tractor for the corn planter, and flexible vjoints in said frame and in said means permitting said frame and means to flex in a vertical plane as one of the Vunits risesror lowers with reference to the other.

5. A multiplerow corn planter comprising isc d a lplurality 'df laterallyespacedfseddropping units, a rigid frame, each of said seed dropping unitslhaving?anindividualframe pivotally -`connected :to said rigid .-frame, a flexible frame structure 'connecting said :individual frames, said flexible frame structure including a .pairof laterallv spaced vertical members anda horizontal member lpivotally connected Withfthe upper ends of said vvertical members, check mechanism -Inounted on the upper end ofsaid flexilleframe structure, and control means yfor said seed dropping units .leading `from said checkingfmeohanism to 'the seed` dropping units and including flexible connections which -Will flex With vsaid leible frame.

6. A vmultiple Arow planter comprising :a plurality of laterally spaced seed :dropping units, -an varched frame structure -Connecting said units and including flexible joints 'for Y permitting .the seed-dropping units to have relative -vertical motion, Checkv mechanisms mounted upon said arched frame structure and including a transverse shaft operatedby said checkfrnechanisms and link connections from said shaftto saidseed dropping units. Signed at Chicago this 18th day of April,

JOHN C. BOHMKER. 

